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Evesham
Evesham is both the name of a barony roughly ten days travel to the far east of Pinedale. It was named after the citadel that protects it with high stone walls atop a large plateau, and is home to the Order of the Red Dragon, a group of knights founded to protect the barony from enemies that wish to see it fall. The barony of Evesham recently signed a truce with neighbouring Caêrfaen after the invaders nearly decimated the citadel during a sudden war, leaving hundreds dead and the Order of the Red Dragon crippled to the point of disbanding. The structure of the population can be broken down into Knights, Yeomen, and Serfs, with the Baron and his Lords seated higher than the knights. This follows a traditional feudal pattern where knights hold deeds to all land surrounding the Citadel, both inside and outside of her walls. This land is rented by the yeomen in exchange for crowns, soldiers, or other trade agreed upon between knight and yeoman. Serfs then pay a fee for living upon rented land to the yeoman; most serfs pay in foodstuffs or provisions rather than coin, establishing a basic economy of goods within the barony. Despite having a small population of elves, the barony has always held a dim view on the race, with city guardsmen often turning a blind eye to racially-aggravated assaults. The previous baron, Sir Conall the Courageous, refused to pass legislation against the hatred towards elves. The surrounding area was, after all, once elven and the barony has slowly increased its' size to push the elves from their homes. It is speculated that the war with Caêrfaen was mostly due to the expansionist views of the barony, encroaching into Caêrfaen territory and poor negotiation. Locations within the Barony Evesham Citadel The Citadel is the seat of power for the barony. It has stood for a remarkable seventy years, since a trade with a clan of dwarves within the Blazeridge Mountains far to the west gave them blueprints for its’ construction. Stone from a quarry deep in the Spears of Nyleve saw her construction within two years and she has remained a symbol of strength ever since. Perched high atop a hill, the citadel can be sighted from miles away. Her walls extend to fully surround the base of the hill and protect the main town from threats, with an inner wall surrounding the main keep atop the hill’s plateau. Within the main town itself, life is noisy and hectic. Townsfolk can be found haggling prices in the great market two days within the week, with traders coming from all over the barony, Ysmeri lands and – more recently – one or two from the Caêrfaen territories have been spotted hawking their wares. Several shops can be found situated around the great market for purchasing wares from local tradesmen, including the Forge of Dergann, Northern Star Provisoners, and several shops under the collective Guild of the Crown. Eyrwood The Eyrwood is a forest lying on the eastern shore of the barony. It is mostly unmapped by explorers, many of whom are chased out of the forest by the creatures calling it their home, or become lost in the trees and never find their way out. It is a place of great superstition, many tales telling of lost souls becoming as will-o-wisps when they finally die out in the woods, or falling to disease in the deepest part of the woods. The stories agree on one thing: better to never venture into the shadowy woods alone. Hobgoblins are the most common creature encountered while travelling the Eyrwood, although they rarely venture close to the main road towards the township. Rumours have been circulating that the hobgoblin clan leader is encouraging his soldiers to attack trade caravans recently, so it is recommended that anyone venturing into Eyrwood via the Trail of Stones takes a healthy complement of bodyguards. Wolves and other animals have been sighted deeper into the forest, and local lore has it that giant spiders make nests in the deeper parts of the forest. Through the spider venom, travellers have been infected with several different illnesses. The worst known is the Eldritch Taint, a magical disease in which all sufferers have died through massive blood loss from all orifices two hours after infection. Anyone travelling into these parts should take a healer or holy knight along in case of contracting disease. The forest stretches from the Spears of Nyleve to Pont-yr-Ffinn on the south-eastern shore, encompassing leagues of uncharted terrain. The Eyrbrook runs from the Spears into the wood, but it is unknown where the mouth enters the sea. This river is fast-flowing fresh spring water, safe to drink closest to the Spears, and it is here that the town of Llineyn was founded. These days, Llineyn is simply known as Eyrbrook, after the river. It is said that Ewain Ó Ciardha was born in the village of Eyrbrook prior to joining the knights in Evesham Citadel. Priory of Saint Penithal A small priory of Ilmater that stands just within the Eyrwood, the monastery is self-sufficient and regularly takes in the homeless and destitute locals, helping to turn their lives around. It is run by a small collaboration of priests and monks. It is rumoured that a holy relic of Saint Penithal was once held by the priory and is another reason for Caerfaen's invasion was to claim the relic for their own. Locke's Crossing Of all the fortifications scattered across the land of Evesham, Locke’s Crossing has the most infamous reputation. Any soldier sent here was oft dead within a fortnight of garrison duty. Lying on a narrow strip of land, most strategically built on the border between Caêrfaen and Evesham, Locke’s Crossing stands proudly as a symbol of defiance against the elven attackers. Built roughly ten years ago by the Order of the Red Dragon and funded by the Baron himself, in its’ short lifetime the fortress has changed hands no less than six times. The fortress is currently held by the soldiers of the barony, having successfully defended it in the final battle of the war between Caêrfaen and Evesham. Llangorseinon Llangorseinon is colloquially known as the Crown of Evesham, the name stemming from the fact that the town boasts a low tax rate, high trade, and strong links to all trading guilds north of the Reaches of Erebria. Tradehouses owned by the Guild of the Crown, the Five Wagons Trading Company, the Northern Star Society, and the Purple Glove Caravan are always open for business with cut-throat competition against each other for pricing. Charismatic merchants can earn obscene amounts of coin through joining a trade guild in Llangorseinon... and many do! Situated on the Trail of Coppers heading north from the Citadel, the town is in perfect placement for all merchant caravans heading out of Evesham to stop off and trade goods. The town itself is beautifully constructed around the Trail, not once impeding travel by forcing the road to curve around buildings, but instead building around a straight road. A toll gate is in place for anyone leaving through the northern gate of Llangorseinon, but all revenue is put straight back into maintaining the stone roads and safety in the vicinity of the town. This safety comes in the form of a merchant guard, the Sapphire Knives, which protect the roads and will, for a price, protect caravans as far as the crossroads town of Llandydd. Pen-y-betws In the Spears of Nyleve, high above the ground on a natural rock formation stands Pen-y-betws. Such a wildly differing climate from the temperate plains of the barony, the Spears offers increased protection in return for poor farming and agriculture. To this end, Pen-y-betws receives most of their food through farms at the foot of the mountain and is carried to the main town through oxen and carrier beasts. The town does perform admirable trading with other settlements but the mainstay of trade comes from the stone quarry, iron mines and gemstones unearthed from the Spears of Nyleve. To reach Pen-y-betws, a traveller must cross five bridges that arc across great chasms in the Spears. Of these, three bridges are of stone and two of wood and rope. There is no other route to enter the town that is publically known, and the sides of the mountain are too steep and sheered to climb. It is through this that the town was left untouched by the Caêrfaen, who thought them of no threat. In fact, the men of Pen-y-betws are known to be the best archers in the lands and many were recruited into the ranks against the invaders during the war. Along the mountain’s ridges, there are also carefully positioned rocks, ready to form a crushing rockslide in defence of the village if the need arises. The town itself is remarkable. Everything is made of fine stone or cut into the rock itself, almost resembling a dwarven clanhold. The people here live a rough and rugged lifestyle, with luxuries scarcely available. Tobacco is rarely sold, ale is hard to come by, and most people survive on a diet of meat from hunts around the mountainside. This includes such delicacies as ogre flank stew or roasted ettin brains. Fashion is derived from the guardsmen’s camouflaged uniforms – all clothes sold in the stores feature a wide variety of brown and grey shades, but any coloured dyes beyond this are both expensive and considered foppish by the townsfolk, accompanied by ridicule and much laughter. Llandydd Sat squarely upon the crossroads north of the Citadel leading between Ysmir and Caêrfaen, this settlement was razed at the beginning of the elven invasion and has never truly recovered. Instead, the charred remains of Llandydd sit at the heart of a slow rebuild, small stone hovels cropping up as part of the New Town. Refugees are still travelling the roads to return to their once-home, but without proper infrastructure, poverty and disease is rife. Many are still dying from cholera and dysentery, while a small outbreak of the wasting disease claims victims almost daily. Pont-yr-Ffinn Pont-yr-Ffinn, or Finn’s Bridge in Common, lies at the south-eastern tip of the barony. It is a cliff-top with remarkable views out over the sea, with a long stone bridge that extends across to a small island just off the coast. On a clear night, one might be able to see the torch lights of the Reaches of Erebria. The cliff is a regular visit for many love-struck couples. Local lore suggests that the point was named after Finn Rikardr, an Ysmeri warrior that travelled the world to rescue his lost love. When he finally found her remains in an old desert ogre cavern in the Golden Empire's lands, Finn returned home and grieved in a deep depression as a hermit out on the point. One morning, unable to cope with his loss, he prayed to the Gods that he might be together with his beloved once more and threw himself off the ledge. This legend also gave rise to the name of one of the constellations in the night sky: the Rikardr Pendant, a septagon of stars that resembles a chain and jewel. The pendant was one that his lost love wore and which he carried to his watery grave. A trio of standing stones mark Pont-yr-Ffinn for visitors to pay their respects to any God that they choose, although prayers are mostly made to Sune here. Spears of Nyleve Almaan Crossing Trivia * A local drink is called meddyglyn: it is a form of mead with spices or herbs added after the process and left to infuse into the drink. Meddyglyn is widely used by the populace as a medicine, depending on the mixture added to mead. The most common are cinnamon, ginger, lemon rind, or witch hazel infusions. See also * Order of the Red Dragon * Traveller's Primer, Evesham Category:Geography Category:Offshore Location Category:Town